Bedspring



Patented Mar. 25, 1941 t UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE Kay Manufacturing Corporation, Brooklyn,

N. Y., a `corporation of New York 'Application May 5, 1939, Serial No. 27181-9 6C1aim`s.

This invention relates to bedsprings and v'particularly to the type known as box springs which are designed tosupport a mattress.

In box springs it has been customary to secure 5 in upright position a plurality of spaced single cone coil springs. Such coil springs are each provided with an uppermost end coil which is of greater diameter than the remaining coils of the springs, said remaining coils being reduced gradually in diameter. The lowermost and smallest coils of the springs are set in various ways on supporting bars and held thereto customarily by various means. The single cone type of coil r springs is objectionable because of the clicking sound often produced 'when the spring is compressed due to the rubbing of the coils as they pass each other.

The means heretofore used for supporting the springs on the bars of the frame, if satisfactory, 20 is comparatively expensive, and Yin most cases,

due to the small diameter of the lowermost coil,

the springs cannot be securely held and are likely to shift, turn or otherwise become displaced.

y My invention therefore contemplates the provision of a 'bedspring wherein the springs, instead of being of the single cone type, are of the double cone type, that the top and bottom coils are of greater diameter than the intermediate coils, and wherein the supporting means "o for the springs provides a comparatively large bearing area and thereby adequately prevents shifting of the springs relatively to the frame and to each other, the spring being noiseless when compressed because of the nesting of the smaller intermediate coils within the larger top and bottom coils.

My invention Yfurther contemplates the provision of means 'for securing the springs in place, which means is comparatively inexpensive in it- 40 self and which is quite easy toassemble and consequently, economical in material and labor While adequate to prevent shifting or displacement of the springs.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description 'which follows and from the drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a 'fragmentary top plan view of a bedspring embodying my invention and showing a corner of the spring, the remainder of the spring being similar and hence, not necessary to be illustrated.

Fig. 2 is a verticalsection of the supporting bar for one of the springs, showing the means for securing Athe spring inplace thereto.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary iront 4view'o'f the saine.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the 'prebent wires cooperating with the frame bars and with the 'enlarged bottom coil of the spring, for securing a'row of springs in place.

In the practical embodiment of my invention which I have shown by way of example, the frame, constituting the lower part of the bedspring, comprises a pair of spaced parallel side members as IU, the spaced parallel end members II, the transversely arranged spaced supporting strips or bars l2 and I3 and the longitudinal bracing strips or bars I4.

Said frame members, bars or strips are preferably made of Wood, the bars I2 and I3 particularly being made of Wooden strips of rectangular cross section and of greater width than the thickness or height thereof, each bar being arranged with one of its wider surfaces uppermost. Said members II), Il, I2, I3 and I4 are secured together at their intersections by any suitable means, 'such as nails, screws, `or the like, with the bars I2 and I3 resting on the members lIII and I4.

The springs IB are secured t`o the bars I3 by means soon to be described, each of said 'springs being ofthe double-cone type. rlhat is, each of the springs I6 has an uppermostr coil Il which is of greater diameter than any of the remaining coils, the diameters of some of the succeeding coils decreasing and the diameters of the remaining coils nearest the bottom of the spring increasing so that the bottom end coil I5 is of greater diameter than the next succeeding coil thereabove. By making the bottom end coil I5 of large diameter, as compared to the intermediate coils, not only is clicking of the coils prevented, but comparatively widely spaced bearing points are provided for the spring, which aids in preventing the spring from tilting excessively besides enabling the use of simple securing means to hold the spring to its bar.

The extremity I9 of the bottom coil -is `bent upwardly out of the plane of the remainder of the bottom coil I5, while the major portion of said bottom coil, for more than one turn and 'up to one and one-half turns, lies in a single plane when the spring is unstressed or unsecured in place.

Serving as a simple, economical, but efcent attaching means to secure the springs tothe bars I2 and I 3, without other aid, are the securing Wires 20. Said wires `extend between the end member Il of the frame and the corresponding parallel `frame end member, ln'ot shown, at the other end of the 'bedspring and are, thereiore,

of substantially the same length as that lof the bedspring. At spaced intervals in the wire 20, corresponding to the spacing of the bars I2 and I3, are the downwardly bent offsets 2|. Each of said offsets is of substantially the same depth as or slightly less than the thickness or depth of the bars I2 and I3, and comprises the bend 22, the downwardly and inwardly inclined portion 23 extending from the bend, the substantially horizontal straight bottom portion 24 joined by the bend 26 to the inclined part 23, the inclined part 21 similar to the part 23 and the bend 28 similar to the bend 22. The straight portion 24 is of less length than the width of the bars I2 or I3. Preferably, the bottom part 24 of the oset is spaced from the intermediate straight portions 25'of the wire between offsets, a distance slightly less than the depth or thickness of the bar I2 or I3. Consequently, the straight portions 25 are slightly below the level of the upper sur-- faces of the supporting bars, as is best seen in Fig. 2. The distance between the bends 22 and 28, however, is substantially equal to the diameter of the lowermost coil I5. If desired, however, the bend 28 may be slightly lower than the bend 22, and said bend 22 may be at the same level as the upper surface of the supporting bar, in which case the straight parts 25 are not horizontal but are inclined slightly upwardly from the bend 28 to the next bend 22.

To secure `the spring in place without the use of staples, clips or other securing means, the wire 20 is arranged in its proper position with its ends 30 resting on the cross-bars II at opposite ends of the frame, the wire being arranged parallel to the frame members I0 and I4. The bottom coil I5 of the spring is then passed underneath the wire 20 at the bend 22 and rotated to bring the end por-tion I9 thereof at the bend 28. In this position of the spring, diametrically opposed parts of the bottom coil on a line at right angles to the wire 20 rest on the ltop surface of the bar I3. The remaining parts of the bottom coil project beyond said surface. If the bends 22 and 28 are lower than said surface, as in Fig. 2,` the projecting parts of the bottom coil are bent `downwardly to a slight extent thus stressing the bottom coil out of its normal place and pulling said coil into rm contact with said surface. The bottom coil in its tendency to straighten out to its normal horizontal plane, exerts sufcient upward pressure on said bends 22 and 28 and on `the wire 20 to 4cause `the lower bends 26 of the oiset to be forced into the corners 3i of the bar I3, the wood being of such nature that it is compressed by the wire. A curved indent is consequently formed in the wood .at the lower corner edges thereof for the reception of the wire. At the same time any slack in `the straight parts 25 of the wire is taken up by the upward force on the bends 22 and 28 so that the wire is tensioned throughout its length and the bottom coil I5 forced down on to the upper surface of the bar and in pressed contact therewith. Where less tension on the wire is desired, the under side of the bend 22 is made coplanar with the upper surface of the bar and only the end portion I9 of the bottom coil is bent `down out of its normal plane.

Owing to the automatic indentation of the lower corners of the wooden bar I3 by the wire, said wire cannot be moved transversely while in tension from out of `the grooves thus formed. Nor can it be moved in any other direction after the spring is assembled thereto as will now be obvious. Nor can .the spring I6 .become displaced since it is held down with considerable force on to the bar I3 by the wire 28 and contacts with the bar at a pair of widely spaced points and with the wire at similarly spaced points on a line at right angles to the bar.

By this construction, almost one and one-half turns of the spring, consisting of the lbottom coil and part of .the next succeeding coil are forced into contact with the upper surface of the bar which, therefore, provides a substantial bearing area for the lbottom coil, preventing tilting of the spring or other displacement thereof under stress. The upturned portion I9 engaging the bend 28 of the wire prevents the spring from twisting out of place in any direction.

The uppermost coils I'I of the marginal springs may be secured in the usual manner to the border wire 32 as by means of the clips 33 and the top coils of the remaining springs may be secured in place in any suitable manner as by means of the connecting cords or wires 34, 35.

It will be seen that I have provided a comparatively light, inexpensive but efficient spring structure in which the springs are of the double-cone 4type not likely to click when compressed and having a comparatively wide lowermost .bearing surf-ace, the frame of said structure having wooden bars easily indented Iautomatically by the spring holding wires to prevent the springs and the wires from shifting. It will also be seen that the springs may be quickly and easily assembled to their supporting bars by means of the suitably pre-bent wires arranged longitudinally of lthe frame without the necessity for any other holding means therefor.

While I have shown and described certain specic embodiments 4of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, .but intend to claim the invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the :prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a spring structure, a frame including wooden bars rectangular in cross section and each having one of its wide surfaces uppermost, a flexible generally straight spring-holding wire crossing the bar at substantially right angles thereto, said wire having an offset therein arranged in a vertical plane and having the lowermost part arranged adjacent the under face of the bar, said offset having a substantially straight bottom part joined by inclined side parts to the wire and having a length slightly less than the width of the bar, the width of the offset at its top being greater than the width of the bar and the depth of the oiset being less than the height of the bar, and a double cone coil spring having a bottom coil of greater diameter than the intermediate coils of the spring, said bottom coil terminating in a bent portion passing underneath the wire at one end of the offset, another point of said bottom coil engaging the other end of the offset and said bottom coil being drawn by said wire into contact with the top surface of the bar along diametrically opposite lengths of said bottom coil each at least equal to the width of said bar, said spring exerting an upward pull on the offset suicient to cause said offset to enter and indent the lower corner edges of the bar and thereby to groove the bar sufficiently to prevent displacement of the wire and spring relatively to each other and to the bar.

2. In a spring structure, a. frame including comparatively wide and rigid parallel wooden bars each arranged with a wide surface thereof uppermost, a wire having its ends resting on the frame and crossing said bars, said wire having a pair of straight portions at least part of each of which is arranged slightly below said upper wide surface, said straight portions being arranged at opposite sides of the bar, a downwardly depressed offset in the Wire connecting the adjacent'ends of said straight portions, said offset having a bottom part arranged adjacent the un der surface of the bar and of less length than the width of said under surface and having upwardly and outwardly inclined parts connecting the ends of said straight offset part to the respective straight portions of the wire, and a spring having a bottom coil of greater diameter than the next adjacent intermediate coil of the spring, said spring being pulled by said wire into a position in which said lowermost coil rests on said uppermost surface of the bar, said lowermost coil passing underneath the straight portions of the wire at the junctures thereof with said inclined part-sof the offset, said offset entering into the lowermost corner edges of the bar and thereby preventing displacement of the wire and spring relatively to each other and to the bar.

3. In a spring structure, a frame, a first set of parallel spaced Wooden bars extending across the frame, a second set of parallel spaced wooden bars at right angles to the first set, a series of coil springs each having an enlarged bottom coil, each of the rst set of bars being of rectangular cross-section and having comparatively wide uppermost and lowermost surfaces, and means for securing the bottom coils of the springs in place, said means consisting solely of a series of wires, each arranged at right angles to the rst set of bars and continuing therepast, each of said wires having spaced straight portions and having a bent offset therein passing from one straight portion downwardly around the bar and then upwardly to the other straight portion and having a height less than that of the rst set of bars, said voifset having a bottom part of less length than the width of the lowermost surface of the bar and thereby contacting with, compressing and grooving the lowermost corners of the strip, the bottom coil of the spring projecting beyond said surface on both sides thereof and passing underneath the wire at the junctures of the straight portions of the wire and the offset.

4. In a spring structure, a coil spring having a bottom coil of greater diameter than the smallest intermediate coils of the spring, a wooden spring-supporting bar of rectangular cross-section having its wide face uppermost, and a generally horizontal Wire crossing the bar and having an offset therein engaging and indenting the lower corner edges of the bar and passing below the bar, the bottom of the offset having a length less than the width of the bar, said offset being joined to the remainder of the wire by bends engaging said bottom coil, at least one of said bends being lower than the top surface of the bar and distorting the bottom coil downwardly out of its normal plane at those par-ts of its circumference projecting beyond said wide face of the bar.

5. In a spring structure, a coil spring having a bottom coil and part of next succeeding coil in normally coplanar position, a wooden springsupporting bar, and a Wire passing over opposed points of said bottom coil and under said bar, the length of the part of the wire passing under the bar being less than the width of the bar, said wire being pulled upwardly by said spring and indenting the lower corner edges of the bar Where said wire contacts with said edges.

6. In a spring structure, a coil spring having an enlarged bottom coil, a wooden spring supporting bar rectangular in cross section and arranged with a wide surface thereof uppermost and a generally horizontal wire having a pair of spaced straight portions at right angles to the bar and on opposite sides thereof, said Wire having a depressed offset therein joined by a pair of bends to the respective inner ends of said straight portions, said offset passing downwardly around the bar and indenting the bar at the lower corner edges of the bar, the length of that part of the offset which is underneath the bar being less than the width of the bar, at least one of said bends being arranged below the uppermost wide surface of the bar, and said bottom coil passing under said bends and resting on said wide surface.

ABRAHAM KRAKAUER. 

